Eames Fibreglass Side Chairs - now classic with the fibreglass shell
Back to the roots: the classic chairs by designers Charles and Ray Eames are once again available in fibreglass. In the 1940s, the couple experimented with plywood and aluminium sheeting and then found the right material for their idea of a seat shell that would fit the body with fibreglass-reinforced polyester resin. The Eames took advantage of the new material's benefits such as malleability and strength, which was also suitable for industrial processing and felt wonderful to the touch. They developed the shells to series production readiness. After participating in a competition "Low Cost Furniture Design" of the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in 1948, the chairs with armrests (A-shell) and classic seat shells (S-shell) were the first serially produced plastic chairs in history to be launched in 1950. Eames' mission was to provide affordable furniture for all people. With no other furniture have the designers come as close to this ideal as with the chairs.
Fibreglass
Fibreglass is the colloquial word for glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) and means a composite of a plastic with glass fibres. GRP or fibreglass is a high-quality compound with high elongation at break and elastic energy absorption.
Development of the Eames Side Chairs 1950
The Eames Plastic Chairs simultaneously developed the multifunctional and individualised chair, whose shell can be combined with different bases. Charles & Ray Eames designed a series of bases (DSX, DAX, DSR, DAR, DSW and DAW) for different purposes as early as 1950, including those made of wood (maple or ash), or of chrome-plated or powder-coated metal in black. The so-called Eiffel Tower frame - a filigree construction made of steel wire, which looks light but is extremely stable.
Development of the Eames Side Chairs since 2016
The Vitra company is the only legitimate manufacturer of the Original Eames products in Europe. Vitra manufactures the Eames Plastic Chairs in polypropylene, the Eames Fibreglass Chairs in fibreglass-reinforced polyester resin and a wide range of bases, colours and upholstery variants, so that numerous individual combinations are possible for the most diverse needs. Eames chairs are highlights in the office, home office, law firms, waiting areas, conference rooms, schools, in catering, such as restaurants, cafeterias or canteens, or in private areas such as dining rooms, living rooms, terraces or gardens. In 2016, Vitra has raised the base of the Eames Plastic Chairs by approximately two centimetres in order to achieve an optimal adaptation to contemporary tables.
Variants of the Eames Side Chairs
The design of the Eames chairs, side chair or arm chair, is timelessly beautiful: the polypropylene seat shell is dyed through and is available with seat upholstery or fully upholstered. The fully upholstered version consists of fabric-covered polyurethane foam. Together with the base frame, it offers a wide range of possible combinations. The Eames Plastic Chair is often used as a visitor chair or in the dining room; it is also available as a rocking or swivel chair. There are stackable models and chairs with row linking.
Charles & Ray Eames
Charles & Ray Eames are among the most important designers of the 20th century. They have not only designed furniture, but also photographed and conceived exhibitions. Charles (1907-1978) married in 1941 in second marriage the painter Ray Kaiser (1912-1988), with whom he developed aircraft parts and medical supplies from deformed plywood panels during the Second World War. The couple later derived other furniture designs from this technique. Seating furniture made of the fibreglass-reinforced plastic followed in the late 1940s. Contemporary witnesses and employees confirmed that Charles had more the technical part and Ray the aesthetic part in the joint developments. The Vitra Eames Lounge Chair, which is partly made of natural materials and handcrafted, is still considered an outstanding design today.
